A man who threatened to blow himself up during a lengthy siege at a bank in
Watford claimed to be carrying an explosive device, police said today.

The man entered the Co-operative Bank in Market Street shortly after 10am,
telling staff that he had a bomb strapped to his leg and was going to blow
himself up.

Hertfordshire Constabulary called in military bomb disposal experts and placed
armed police around the building, evacuating the town centre and putting up
a mile-wide cordon. The man eventually gave himself up after a 3-1/2-hour
stand-off.